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Hieroglyphs exhibition at the British Museum
Museums with guilt complexes
To celebrate the bicentenary of the deciphering of the Rosetta Stone, the British Museum is running an exhibition entitled "Hieroglyphs: unlocking ancient Egypt" until February 2023. While Shady Lewis Botros welcomes the museum's effort to broaden the Eurocentric focus of the exhibition, he says that it "lays bare a critical approach and a potential for revisionism" and remains largely decorative
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Iran and global energy supplies
Covert conflict in the Gulf
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Europe has been trying to find alternatives to Russian gas, inevitably zeroing in on the Arab Gulf states. In his commentary, Yemeni politician Muammar al-Iryani proposes a simple way for the West to secure international shipping routes
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Human rights and migration
Why older Algerians risk the small boats to Spain
Nouara may be 65, but she is ready to join thousands of others who burn their ID and pay traffickers for the chance of a new life in Europe. Zineb Bettayeb reports
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Hasan al-Banna and the Muslim Brotherhood
Who was the architect of Islamism?
Renowned scholar of Islamic Studies Gudrun Kramer has just published the first well-founded biography of Hasan al-Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood. Joseph Croitoru read the book
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Paris Bataclan attack, 7 years on
You will not have my hate
Antoine Leiris lost his wife in the Islamist terrorist attack on the Bataclan club in Paris. German director Kilian Riedhof has made a film of his book "You will not have my hate". By Philipp Jedicke
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Italy's victorious right
Hide the swastikas!
Much has changed in the European post-fascist firmament since former SS officers, veterans of the collaborationist Vichy government and other dubious figures established the forerunners of today’s far-right parties. Women and young men, usually smartly turned out in tailor-made suits, now set the tone. Commentary by Ian Buruma
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Salman Rushdie's "The Satanic Verses"
The long road to German publication
Following the recent brutal attack on Salman Rushdie, famous writers have been reading passages from his works. Torsten Landsberg takes a look at the struggle in 1988 to publish "The Satanic Verses" in German
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Al Qasar’s "Who Are We"
A hard message for a hard world
Welcome to the world of Al Qasar, where Arabic music collides head-on with punk and psychedelic to create something powerful and beautiful. "Who Are We" is a raucous, subversive trip into the urban landscapes inhabited by a new generation of Arabs around the world. By Richard Marcus
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FIFA, France and Qatar
Qatar Airways' own goal
While the ongoing legal dispute between Qatar Airways and European aircraft manufacturer Airbus has sent shockwaves across the entire global aviation sector, it may also threaten preparations for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. By Stasa Salacanin
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Scholz in Saudi Arabia and the Emirates
The autocrats' finest hour
Chancellor Olaf Scholz's recent trip to the Persian Gulf underlines Germany's need for consistency in its dealings with the region's assertive rulers, writes Loay Mudhoon
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The EU's diplomatic dilemma
Morocco and Algeria square off over Western Sahara
Since Spain reversed its position on Western Sahara in favour of Morocco’s autonomy plan, Algeria has suspended its long-standing friendship treaty with Madrid. The diplomatic spat raises questions about the future of Moroccan and Algerian relations with EU member states, writes Mohamed Al-Fawiris
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Saudi Arabia
When a tweet gets you 34 years in prison
The ruling is part of an ongoing clampdown on dissent and minorities in the kingdom. But so far, it's unlikely to have an effect on the kingdom's newly polished image as a global oil provider in times of crisis. Jennifer Holleis reports